Ontario Grain Farmer - September 2021

28 EACH YEAR THE International Oilseed Producers Dialogue (IOPD) brings together oilseed producer groups from across the globe to discuss current events and issues impacting the global oilseed industry, and to foster collaboration and relationships between the groups, working for common good. Due to the restrictions in place as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 IOPD XXIII the was held virtually. The 2020 meeting had been cancelled due to COVID, and Canada extended its hosting duties from 2020 to 2021, with the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) and Grain Farmers of Ontario partnering to host. Despite the virtual format, the 2021 IOPD XXIII was no different. Canada, with support from our U.S. counterparts at the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSED), produced a packed agenda that addressed topics ranging from trade to plant innovation, to climate change policy. The oilseed industry is constantly shifting with trade pressures, policy and regulatory pressures, livestock and feed changing needs, Promoting consistent, fair practices INTERNATIONAL OILSEED PRODUCERS DIALOGUE Victoria Berry demand for bio-fuels, and moving consumer demands, but the IOPD XXIII showed that all countries want fair trade competitiveness, they want science-based regulations from the government, they want global standards on barriers such as maximum residue levels, they want public support for their farmers, and they want to educate each other on their production practices and domestic industry. Grain Farmers of Ontario and CCGA were joined by representatives from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Paraguay, the United States, and Uruguay. Each country provides updates to the group and this year, there were many common themes. Overwhelmingly, all countries spoke to or referenced a disconnect between their farmers’ sustainability efforts and government regulations and policy around climate change. Almost every country has sustainability programs that aim to showcase the environmental practices in place in oilseed production (and agriculture in general) to help the general public or government understand those practices in an effort to mitigate any negative policies being enforced. “There is a political mainstream disqualifying farmers’ efforts and ignoring the contribution of modern technology to achieve global food security,” says Sonia Tomassone, foreign trade advisor with Paraguay’s CAPECO (Cámara Paraguaya De Exportadores Y Comercializadores De Cereales Y Oleaginosas). OILSEED SUPPLY AND DEMAND Stephen Nicholson, vice president, senior analyst food & agribusiness research, and advisory at Rabo AgriFinance, spoke to IOPD XXIII attendees about the global oilseed market and the continued growth of demand for oilseeds on several fronts: public consumption, bio-fuels, and feed, and whether the production can keep up with demand. Industry News